7 banned classic books reviewed by the would-be banners

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/go/banned-classic-books-reviewed-by-the-would-be-banners/article_9256c502-371a-54c1-83bd-ab9050c9a694.html


POSTED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 1:00 AM
By Micah Mertes / World-Herald staff writer

“Catcher in the Rye.” “Of Mice and Men.” “Captain Underpants.”

All great works. All banned or challenged at some point.

Banned Books Week, which started Sunday, is an annual campaign that celebrates literature and brings to light the controversy of hundreds of other titles like these.

Chicago librarian Judith Krug established the week in 1982 following a wave of book censorship. In the years since, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has kept tabs on the most frequently challenged or banned books. Some of these include “Twilight” and “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but also more literary works, such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Brave New World.”

FULL story at link.

“To Kill a Mockingbird”

[ismnotwasm]

1. We should all commit to reading at least one

[FSogol]

4. There are only 7, read them all. start with Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-5." n/t

[hifiguy]

9. A classmate of mine recommendnded that book to me

when I was in 9th grade. Read it and loved it at 15. But I have always had both a cynical streak and an appreciation of bleak/black humor. No wonder Vonnegut appealed to me.

[TBF]

12. i got that one

For $1.99 on kindle yesterday. Audible has specials on some of them as well this week.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Almost all on this poster were required reading when I was a student or a teacher.

I find that interesting.

Huck Finn, to Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies???

I guess we're regressing.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

14. I'm about to embark on "Ulysses."

Can't wait to see what all the fuss is about. Have read eight of the others... and somehow survived!

[NYC_SKP]

17. Well, here you are posting on a progressive board. The banners worst nightmare, thinking freely.

Those books are all about being different, challenging convention, compassion for those different from ourselves.

At their core, public schools are about CONFORMITY.

We need to resist that shit.

Good job, there!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

20. I do what I can. ;)

Thank you, Maryland Public Schools!

[freshwest]

16. Same thing for me in public school. Yes, we're regressing, alright. Depressing.

[logosoco]

2. I have many of these on my bookshelves.

My son just handed his "Captain Underpants" volumes to my grandsons.

I had no idea that was on the list, although I should have figured.
Don't really know how a mind that wants to control what other people read works.

[upaloopa]

3. When I was growing up and in Catholic school we had

the "index" or a list of books and movies we were not supposed to read or see. I thought it was a great help in letting me know what the best books and movies were. If it was on the "index" I had to read or see it!

[Louisiana1976]

26. that's the thing about banning books. If you want to get people interested in reading a

particular book, ban it.

[KG]

5. CitR - never understood the objections, maybe language.

wasn't a life changing book for me, maybe coz I think i read it in my late teens

[Louisiana1976]

27. I read CitR as a teenager--couldn't relate to it.

[sharp_stick]

6. Our local library

puts out a stand with a bunch of banned and challenged books right next to the check out.

[hifiguy]

10. The Minneapolis Central public library

has a display up now. Just put up in the last couple of days.

[freethought]

8. I would not have even thought to read

"Catcher in the Rye" had it not been on so many banned book lists. Finally, I thought that I may as well find what the big deal is. When I was finally done, I was kind of shrugging my shoulders trying to figure out why I should be so offended by it. My only opinion was that Holden Caulfield was a hypocritical little twit who didn't appreciate anything he was given. A friend finally set me straight and said I should think of the period of time in which the book was written. "It was the late 1940s. Kids just didn't talk like that. Or weren't supposed to.", he said to me.
I read "Of Mice and Men". Not "Slaughterhouse 5" though. Me thinks that one will be next.

[notadmblnd]

11. If they banned "Captain Underpants" then "The Day My Butt Went Psycho" has already been burned

smh

[Borchkins]

13. I'm doing my part. . .

My 10 year old is reading Captain Underpants, in Spanish.

My 12 year old has the role of Jem from To Kill a Mockingbird in local theatre this weekend. We're reading the book to help him prepare.

B

[Dont call me Shirley]

15. My child's high school banned 1984.

[sweetloukillbot]

18. None of the classics were banned per se in my high school

They were conveniently ignored though. I never read Harper Lee, Huck Finn, Gatsby, The Jungle, Old Man and the Sea.
They just weren't taught.
In some ways I think that is worse - rather than facing the controversy the administration just pretended they didn't exist.

[Arkansas Granny]

19. "Captain Underpants" is banned? I bought that for my 6 yo grandson and he loved it!

Check out the reasons this book made the list:

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-captain-underpants-is-the-most-banned-book-in-america-2013-9

In Chapter 4, the two protagonists of the series — George Beard and Harold Hutchins — refer to their school principal as "that old guy" and call him "Mean Old Mr. Krupp."

<snip>

In Chapter 17, Captain Underpants slings his underwear at the evil Dr. Diaper in an attempt to defeat him and then covers himself with a barrel. (Note: there is no actual nudity in the book, unless you count Captain Underpants' chest.)

<snip>

The chapter comes with the following disclaimer: "WARNING: The following chapter contains graphic scenes showing two boys beating the tar out of a couple of robots. If you have high blood pressure, or if you faint at the sight of motor oil, we strongly urge you to take better care of yourself and stop being such a baby."

<snip>

The book is riddled with examples of George and Harold misbehaving. They play several pranks at school, including sprinkling pepper in the cheerleaders' pom-poms and putting bubble bath in the marching band's instruments.


Pass me the smelling salts and point me toward the fainting couch.

[Jim Lane]

21. I never even HEARD of "Captain Underpants" until today

My excuse is that I have no children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews.

[nomorenomore08]

23. God forbid kids develop a sense of humor, right?

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. I loved "To Kill a Mockingbird" Off Topic - heard that the author is still alive

[ailsagirl]

30. Harper Lee-- she's 88 years old

...and she never wrote another book. Kind of strange.

She travelled to Kansas with Truman Capote when he was researching/writing "In Cold Blood."

[WinkyDink]

24. Of course OMAM would be banned; mustn't show workers as having any dignity or honor. (I taught it.)

[nomorenomore08]

25. I did reach 'Catcher in the Rye,' 'Of Mice and Men,' and 'To Kill A Mockingbird' for various

high school English classes. And I went to Catholic school, albeit a relatively liberal one (graduated 2003 - yeah, I'm young).

[Louisiana1976]

28. I read Slaughterhouse Five after seeing the movie when I was 19. A couple of years later we

studied it in an English class.

[SummerSnow]

29. I read....

'Catcher in the Rye' 'Of Mice and Men' and 'To kill a Mockingbird'

[Buzz cook]

31. If we banned anything it should be sparkly vampires

My experience with Catcher in the Rye was similar to others. By the 70s the subject of teen alienation was old hat. But from the 19th century conservative prospective it must be frightening.

The reasons to ban To Kill a Mocking Bird in the article just have me gob smacked.
In my life I've yet to meet a person that didn't personalize the story; seeing themselves in its characters and being moved by both the tragedy and hope in the plot.

The Lord of the Flies still pisses me off. As someone who wears glasses it set me off when Piggie got killed. It's part of how I view conservatives.

I've read all the books mentioned except Twilight. Each of them has the ability to move the reader in a positive way. I'd guess that's reason enough to ban them.